Ash Cutter
by Shikamaru Ace Detective
Summary: A pickpocketer named Ash is caught by Ed and Al. He agrees to help them for his freedom.
1. Chapter 1

First try at this...

Full Metal Alchemist Characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa

* * *

"Stop!" A man yelled chasing a boy wearing a black cloak.

"Tch, persistent," Ash thought turning a corner. "Let's see…how to lose him."

Ash looked up and smiled. He jumped up grabbing the side of a building and quickly climbed up onto the roof.

"Where'd he go?" He heard the man say.

Ash smiled to himself and sat down on the roof.

"Alright let's see what I got." Ash thought taking a small pouch out of his cloak and dumping the contents into his hand. "Hm…100 Euros…not bad."

Ash then stood up and looked down to see if the coast was clear. He jumped down and landed quietly in an ally.

"Brother don't be mad," Someone said. "I'm sure the man didn't mean it."

"But he called me shorty!" A bland haired boy yelled.

"Ed, please calm down," The person in armor said.

Ed sighed angrily. Ash smiled noticing a watch chain coming out of Ed's pocket. "That looks valuable."

Ash quietly approached the two and "accidentally" bumped into Ed, slipping the watch into his pocket. "Oh sorry."

"Whatever," Ed mumbled and shoved his hands into his pocket. His eyes widened and he turned around to see Ash running. "Hey!" Ed yelled and ran after Ash.

"Wow, he noticed pretty fast," Ash thought dodging a group of people. "Wonder if her noticed I jacked his wallet too."

Ash heard a clap behind him and he was suddenly launched into the air. He looked down to see a pillar of rock had come out of the ground. He slammed in to the ground knocking the wind out of him. Someone grabbed his cloak collar and lifted him off the ground slightly.

"Give me my stuff back you little brat!" Ed yelled shaking Ash and making his hood fall off. "Wh-What the?"

Ed dropped Ash and stared at him. Ash had dull silver hair and dull silver eyes. There was also a pair of cat ears sticking out of his hair. Ash quickly put his hood back up and scrambled to his feet. Before he could take another step, he was lifted into the air by a pair of cold gray hands.

"H-Hey! P-Put me down!" Ash said trying to pry the hands off him.

"Not until you give me my brother his stuff back," The armored person said easily restraining him.

Ash kicked him making a soft echo. Ash blinked in surprised. "Hallow?"

"Come on Al, let's get him out of here before we make more of a scene," Ed said walking away.

"Ok brother," Al said slinging Ash over his shoulder and following Ed.

Ash struggled a bit more and then sighed knowing he wasn't going to get away.


	2. Chapter 2

"Just a little more," Ash thought trying to unlock the cuffs on his wrists.

There was a click and the cuffs fell to the floor. "Ha, that was easy."

Ash walked over to the door and reached out of the handle. The door swung open and hit Ash. Ash stumbled backwards and groaned.

"Oh s-sorry!" Al said going over to Ash.

"Hey! How'd you get out?" Ed asked.

"I'm a thief for petes sake," Ash mumbled rubbing his forehead. "All thieves should know how to pick a simple cuff lock."

Ed frowned and closed the door. Al reached out to check Ash's forehead, but Ash swatted his hand away. "What do you two want?"

"To give you an option," Ed said. "Option 1. You can agree to help us out for a while or option 2, we can turn you in and you'll go to jail."

Ash stayed silent considering it. "What do you need help with?"

Ed smiled. "You'll be waking for us for six months. Longer maybe, depending on how well this goes."

"Fine," Ash mumbled.

"Good, now first we're going to have to change your outfit," Ed said tossing a bag to Ash. "Don't want you to be recognized.

Ash opened the bag and frowned. "I'm not wearing this, it's too outstandish. And there's nothing here to cover my head on the shirt."

"That's what the hat's for," Ed said. "Now hurry up and change."

Ed then left the room followed by Al. Ash sighed and slowly started changing. "Wonder who those two are anyways."

There was a thunk as ash's cloak hit the ground. Ash bent down and took the watch he stole earlier out of the cloak. His eyes widened slightly and he frowned.

"State Alchemists!" He thought setting the watch down. "I'm working for State Alchemists!"

Ash sighed and finished changing into the new outfit. The outfit consisted of a dull silver and white, horizontally stripped shirt, black pants, black boots and a black paperboy hat. Ash looked over at a nearby mirror and frowned.

"I look like a stupid tabby cat," Ash growled.

"Do you like it?" Al asked opening the door.

"No," Ash growled.

"Well, too bad, we've got nothing else for you," Ed said walking over to the clothes on the ground.

Ash glared at Ed but said nothing.

"What's your name?" Ed asked grabbing his watch and wallet.

"Ash," Ash mumbled.

Ed nodded and took something out of his pocket. He touched the small circle attached to the strip of leather and held it out to Ash.

"I-Is that a collar!" Ash yelled. "No way! I'm not wearing that!"

Ed sighed and swiftly put the collar around Ash's neck. He clapped his hands together and touched the clasps sealing it together. "There, now if you do run you'll be easier to spot."

Ash took a step away from Ed and pulled at the collar.

"You can't break it," Al said watching him. "Nothing can. Not even a bullet."

Ash frowned and stopped pulling. "Where to first?"

"First we have to report to Mustang," Ed said putting the clothes in a bag.

"Yeah, we have to tell him about our progress," Al said.

Ed nodded and headed towards the door. "Ash, don't pickpocket anyone while in the head quarters."

"That'll be hard," Ash mumbled following Ed.

"Please try not to," Al sighed following the two.


	3. Chapter 3

"This is hard," Ash mumbled watching various people in blue uniforms walk past him. He lifted his hand up but brought it back down as another person passed by him. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I took one person's wallet."

As a large, buff man walked by, Ash reached out only to have the man grab his wrist and lift him up into the air.

"Ow, ow," Ash mumbled as the man gripped his wrist tightly.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man asked.

"Well, I was, ow, thinking of taking your wallet," Ash said trying to make the man let go.

"Honest aren't you?" The man said setting Ash down. "I like it! What's your name kid?

"Ash," Ash mumbled. "Ash Cutter."

"Well Ash Cutter, I am Major Alex Louis Armstrong!" Armstrong said taking Ash's hand and shaking it roughly.

"Yeah, that's great. Nice name," Ash said trying to stop the shaking. "Can you stop that?"

"Terribly sorry," Armstrong said letting go of Ash's hand. "Sometimes I don't even know my own strength."

"Good for you," Ash mumbled holding his throbbing wrist.

"Major Armstrong?" A black haired man with an eye patch asked walking up to them. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I just stopped to say hello to this boy here," Armstrong said gesturing to Ash. "Poor boy is all by his lonesome self."

"I'm with Ed and Al," Ash mumbled.

"Oh, and you're sitting out here waiting for them huh?" The man said. "They must be talking to Roy, if they're taking this long."

"What brings you here Fuhrer Bradley?" Armstrong asked.

"Just checking up on a few things," Bradley said.

"And where are your guards?" Armstrong asked.

"Oh, I ditched them a few minutes ago," Bradley smiled.

"So, he's Fuhrer Bradley," Ash thought. "I expected him to be more…serious."

"So, what's with your outfit?" Bradley asked examining the collar around Ash's neck.

"I'm not wearing this because I want to," Ash mumbled.

"Oh," Bradley said.

"Fuhrer Bradley?" Another black haired man asked. "What are you doing here?  
"Roy, it's good to see you," Bradley smiled.

Roy then looked over at Ash examining him. "I presume you're Ash." Ash nodded. "Come with me please."

Ash stood up and followed Roy down the hallway. He looked down at Roy's pockets and smiled. "It's another one of these watches," Ash said examining the watch he just stole.

"What? Hey!" Roy said snatching the watch away. "Ed was right. You are a good thief."

"Well, it's all I know how to do," Ash mumbled putting his hands in his pocket.

"Oh I see," Roy said opening a door and walking in.

Ash followed and closed the door behind him. Roy gestured towards a chair that was next to Al. Ash sat down next to Al and Roy cleared his throat.

"So Ash, do you know about anything called the Philosophers stone?" Roy asked.

A surprised look flashed a crossed Ash's face. "I'll take that as a yes. So, what do you know about it?" Ash stayed silent and looked down.

"I'm guessing that's how you got your ears huh," Roy said.

"What? How did you?" Ash asked looking up at Roy.

"Ed and Al told me," Roy said. "What do you know about it?"

"Well, I can't say I know much about it. All I know is what they used it for," Ash mumbled.

"They?" Roy questioned.

"Um…I don't remember…who they were," Ash said.

"Well, can you tell us where they used it?" Ed asked.

"No, I don't remember where it was, just what it looked like on the inside," Ash sighed.

"It's fine," Ash said. "We'll help you remember."

"After I go get a check up on my arm," Ed said standing up and stretching.

"Yeah," Al said standing up.

"Onward!" Ed said and left the room.

Al laughed and followed Ed. Ash sighed and followed the two.


End file.
